From Traditional to Reformed: A Review of the Land Use Regulations in the Nation’s 50 Largest Metropolitan Areas

Local land use regulations aid in the definition of the character of towns, cities, counties, and entire regions. Infrastructure control, zoning, urban containment, comprehensive plans, permit caps, and building moratoriums can promote density, drive development outward, or something in between. They can also directly affect the composition of residents by facilitating low-income residents and rental properties, especially when these regulations go along with programs to promote affordable housing. This comprehensive survey of local land use regulations finds a wide variety of regulatory types. It classifies them in four broad typologies, across the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas. These types range from restrictive and exclusionary to accommodating and innovative. The regulations produce a variety of effects on metropolitan density and growth, and on the opportunities afforded to the inhabitants of the areas.

• Record URL:
  http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2006/8/metropolitanpolicy%20pendall/20060802_pendall
• 
• Summary URL:
  http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2006/08/metropolitanpolicy-pendall
• Corporate Authors:

  Brookings Institution

  1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20036
• Authors:
  • Pendall, Rolf
  • Puentes, Robert
  • Martin, Jonathan
• Publication Date: 2006-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 40p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cities and towns; Counties; Infrastructure; Land use; Land use planning; Low income groups; Metropolitan areas; Permits; Population density; Regions; Regulations; Regulatory constraints; Regulatory reform; Rent; Residents; Surveys; Urban development; Urban growth; Zoning
• Uncontrolled Terms: Affordable housing; Building moratoriums; Comprehensive planning initiatives; Opportunities; Types of regulation; Urban containment
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Law; Planning and Forecasting; Society; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01036358
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 27 2006 8:15AM